1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the art of inking mechanisms for printing apparatus.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In a prior art development of William A. Jenkins and Paul H. Hamisch, Jr. disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,798,106 granted Mar. 19, 1974, there is disclosed an inking mechanism having an inker body, an ink roller, and means, in particular a cover, for mounting the inker body and the ink roller to a printing apparatus. The inker body has an integrally formed curved spring finger which acts on the cover to urge the ink roller into cooperation with the print head. The flanges on the ink roller cooperate with bearing surfaces on the print head. Manufacturing variations in the molding process sometimes cause the spring finger on some of the inker bodies to be defective, resulting in breakage of the spring finger. Apparatus of the type disclosed in the above-mentioned patent is ruggedly constructed to withstand considerable abuse such as being dropped. Nevertheless, it has happened that upon being dropped the projections which mount the inker body to the cover have become unsnapped from the respective sockets, thereby requiring the user to resnap the ink roller to the body before the apparatus can be used again.